Page 31 of The Book of Legends
Kainen chuckles darkly. “Relax, Ormand. We both know she prefers Spellbinders.”
A sharp, visceral anger rips through me. I slap my hands down on the table, ignoring the pain. “And how the fuck would you know what I prefer?”
The corner of his mouth lifts, his expression shifting from annoyance to amusement. “When I found you, it certainlylooked like that to me.” His eyes drop to my breasts. “His hands were everywhere.”
“I was drugged,” I snap. “If you saw differently, then you’re blind.”
Kainen leans back, a smirk curling his lips. “Then why did I kill him?”
How easy it is for him to say it hits me like ice water.
His smirk doesn’t waver. “Did you expect me to let him live?”
A part of me wants to be grateful, but a larger part of me wants to hate him even more. Because it wasn’t about saving me; it was about control—a way to make his point when he captured me.
“Looked like you stayed long enough to enjoy the show.”
Kainen’s smirk vanishes. “Trust me, you’d know if I did.”
Bastard.
A dwarf appears with a glass of red wine. Another comes with black plates, placing them in front of me and Kainen. “I’m sure you’re hungry,” Kainen says, placing a dinner napkin near his plate.
I tear my gaze from the little people walking around the room with trays of food fit for ten when there are just two of us.
In seconds, the table suddenly transforms into a feast fit for a holiday. Steam rises in the air from each serving tray, casting the space with the smell of fresh hot food. Trays of assorted fruits, meats, and chicken legs are within reach at the center of the table. Breads of all kinds are placed within reach. My stomach growls in agreement that it smells delicious.
“Go on,” he urges with amusement in his voice as he plucks a chicken leg from a tray and a piece of meat from another. “Don’t be shy. You must be hungry.”
I’m about to reach for a piece of bread but frown as my insecurities bubble to the surface. “Are you making fun of me?”
“I don’t joke about food,” he replies earnestly between bites.
“Then why did you say it like that?” I ask, not hiding the accusation in my voice.
He licks his lips and grins. “Like what?”
“Like you’re pointing out that I’m fat and the reason I’m hungry.”
His gaze bounces from my face to my chest. He can probably see my nipples through the sheer fabric barely covering the exposed sides of my breasts. “Is that what you think?”
“I don’t think you care what I think,” I point out. “You should save on food and kill me like you planned. I also suggest you give me a black hooded robe like the ones your guards wear. It would keep the mess to a minimum.”
The color in his eyes shifts after a few seconds. I’m not sure it’s a trick of the light from the fire in the hearth creating the effect, but his eyes shift from light to a dark gray, like storm clouds turning black right before lightning strikes.
“I’ve changed my mind about killing you,” he says between bites. “Right now, anyway.” He takes another bite like he’s discussing what will be had for dessert.
I curl my hands into fists underneath the table at how he can discuss my life like it doesn’t mean anything.
“I have found that I have no use for you if you’re dead.”
Dread causes my stomach to churn. My hunger vanishes as I stare at my plate. The words escape my lips until I lose the courage to ask, “What do you plan on doing with me?”
“Keep you here as bait. Even if you won’t admit the truth, he’ll come for you.”
I don’t know why, but I can’t help it. Maybe it’s shock or fear, but I laugh, holding my glasses so they don’t slide off my face. It’s not that I find the situation I’m in funny. I’m terrified of him, and I don’t want him to see how unsteady my hands are or how his last words affected me in a way that is keeping me from eating.
His jaw hardens. He drops the food on the plate. He doesn’t notice how my hands are shaking. I should stop antagonizing him with my laughter, but I can’t help it; it’s my body’s way of relieving the anxiety.
